Ovarian Cancer Screening
When ovarian cancer is caught early, survival rates can be as high as 98 percent. But the problem is actually being able to do this, especially for the general population. This is because with the current ovarian cancer screening technology that is available, populations that are not at risk have a higher chance of getting a false positive or even a false negative. Both could result in extreme consequences for one’s health, whether they are undergoing treatments they don’t need or they don’t get treated at all. Early detection is the best chance for survival of any cancer and with ovarian cancer screening the survival rate does increase significantly for those in the early stages. Having a good knowledge of your family history can also help you with fighting against cancers because genetically you are likely to inherit the same form of cancers that your parents or grandparents suffered from unless you change your lifestyle. If the cancerous cells or tumors are found early through the screening process or through a Pap smear test the chances of removing the cancerous cells is increased dramatically for the first two stages of ovarian cancer.
However, what about populations that are at risk for ovarian cancer? How does ovarian cancer screening affect them? Well, for those who are more at risk, (such as women with the breast cancer genes BRCA1 or BRCA2 or women who have a history of ovarian cancer in their families), ovarian cancer screening offers a little bit of hope they can detect the disease in its earlier stages. Granted, ovarian cancer screening isn’t a cure-all even for them, but it is better than not having any testing at all.
So, how does ovarian cancer screening work? Ovarian cancer screening comes in two different forms including: transvaginal ultrasonography and a blood test. With transvaginal ultrasound ovarian cancer screening, a doctor puts a special probe into a woman’s vagina. This probe creates sound waves which can display an image of what the area looks like from the inside. As a form of ovarian cancer screening, transvaginal ultrasound is the most preferred, though it is not perfect. When doctors are looking for additional ‘confirmation’ they may also conduct a blood test. With this blood test they are looking for CA-125, a substance that is created by the tumors associated with ovarian cancer. Unfortunately, over 50 percent of ovarian cancer situations do not result in a CA-125 level high enough to get detected, making ovarian cancer screening based on blood tests not as effective.
When should a woman consider getting an ovarian cancer screening? Well, as already stated, women who are a part of the general population do not need to consider it unless they are starting to show symptoms. In fact, doctors may not even allow ovarian cancer screening for women who seem to be healthy. But if a woman is more at risk for developing ovarian cancer, ovarian cancer screening, even in its current form, could help save her life. Granted, there is the major risk that she could get misdiagnosed, but if she doesn’t do anything, she would be taking an even bigger gamble with her life. Nobody wants to go through unnecessary ovarian cancer surgery or chemotherapy, but at least people can survive these procedures. Ovarian cancer that has progressed too much doesn’t offer much in the way of survival rates.
In conclusion, today’s ovarian cancer screening is not perfect. A lot more research can be done before every woman, even those at risk can feel comfortable that if they undergo ovarian cancer screening, they’ll be saved from the possibility of succumbing to the disease. Yet, if a woman is at risk, ovarian cancer screening could be the one thing that allows her to be able to catch her condition at a more treatable stage.
Ovarian Cancer Symptoms
The symptoms of ovarian cancer are usually pretty easy to spot. Symptoms include problems with digestion, abdominal pains and swelling, problems with gas and regularly experiences nausea. These are the signs that you will first see, as the cancer develops more symptoms will be seen.
Ovarian Cancer Survival Rates
It’s a shame but only 35 percent of women who get ovarian cancer will survive the terrible cancer. Researchers however are searching for a new drug which will increase the chance of ovarian cancer suffers surviving, initial research has been positive however it will be some time before they find a drug that cures cancer completely.